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Bear down if you don’t like blockbuster trades. So, let’s make assumptions:
1. Wolves lose in 1st or 2nd round of playoffs.
2. Trae gets disgruntled and some level of formal demand-a-trade takes place.
3. Nets still want eggs in one 2025 offseason basket.

The Trade::
Nets Trade: Bridges + Schroeder + 25 Suns 1st + 27 Suns 1st
FOR
Trae + Reid
Why= Trae is new young superstar who can recruit as actual 1A (compared to Bridges ideal role). 25 offseason plan still wide open (vs Towns contract limitations). Reid fits nicely with Claxton if retained or gets starting role chance.

Hawks Trade: Trae + Okongwu + Johnson
FOR
Towns + Bridges + Moore Jr. + (maybe Nets 1st?)
Why= yes, might be more painful to give up Johnson than Trae for some, but Hawks retool. Not owning own 1sts makes hard to tank.

Wolves Trade: Towns + Reid + Moore Jr
FOR
Johnson + Okongwu + Schroeder + 25/27 Suns 1sts
Why= about perfect return for Towns other than young PGOF, but one can be drafted. Wolves get Johnson (on rookie deal) as FOF next to McDaniels and Okongwu locked in value deal as replacement big for Towns. Money problems solved and restock the draft capital for Connelly.

The Rosters::
Nets:
Claxton? | Reid
Johnson or Reid | Clowney
DFS or Johnson | Whitehead
Cam
Young | Simmons

Hawks:
Capela | Towns
Towns | Hunter
Hunter | Bridges
Bridges | BB | Griffin
Murray | Bufkin
Plus 2x 2024 draft picks.

Wolves:
Gobert | Okongwu
Johnson | Okongwu
McDaniels
Edwards | NAW
Conley | Schroeder
Plus 2x 2024 draft picks and more draft capital to trade with.

Can’t see the Nets trading Bridges to bring in Trae. They would be looking to pair them. Whether they can, not sure. But the swap doesn’t feel like a major step forward.

MoneyTalks41890 wrote:Can’t see the Nets trading Bridges to bring in Trae. They would be looking to pair them. Whether they can, not sure. But the swap doesn’t feel like a major step forward.

Nets have the ammo to not include Bridges. If Hawks want a picks package - Nets will be top 3 bidding for sure.

If Hawks don’t want a picks package, Nets aren’t in top 15 offers without Bridges.

OP is assuming Hawks - not owning own picks - don’t want just picks for Trae.

Nets swap Bridges for Trae to improve their 2025 offseason position and not see Trae traded to other team (because all they have is picks).

I don't have the Nets doing this. Easily path forward with Bridges contract for their FA hail mary.

Plus I think this leaves the Hawks without an engine, they might be slightly better but still still have no real chance in the playoffs. I think the Hawks are going to move Murray and try to stir the mix up some around Trae some more, that more than likely will fail but I think that is the path they will take for a couple more seasons.

psman2 wrote:I don't have the Nets doing this. Easily path forward with Bridges contract for their FA hail mary.

Plus I think this leaves the Hawks without an engine, they might be slightly better but still still have no real chance in the playoffs. I think the Hawks are going to move Murray and try to stir the mix up some around Trae some more, that more than likely will fail but I think that is the path they will take for a couple more seasons.

Not wrong here. I can see that too.

OP is making assumption Trae stirs for trade - and Hawks might have kept Murray at trade deadline as contingency plan. Which in this case, is retool without Trae (vs starting a rebuild due to Trae trade).

I don’t think Brooklyn trades Bridges if they’re trading for a star they can afford with a pick package.

And the Atlanta deal is pretty weird to me. They trade OO and Jalen (two really good potential pairings with KAT) but keep their pick assets.

Seems like the other teams involved are just doing the trade that Minnesota would want.

Not saying value is off, just really weird directions for the other teams.

jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think Brooklyn trades Bridges if they’re trading for a star they can afford with a pick package.

And the Atlanta deal is pretty weird to me. They trade OO and Jalen (two really good potential pairings with KAT) but keep their pick assets.

Seems like the other teams involved are just doing the trade that Minnesota would want.

Not saying value is off, just really weird directions for the other teams.

That is fair.

Nets Picks package doesn’t work here. See post above.

Personally I see Towns fit with Capela better, a lite version of Gobert.

Jalen in trade is cost of doing business as prize for MN trading Towns. If Hawks want to entertain direct (no Nets) that works.

Picks package from Hawks doesn’t work for Towns either (or Bridges I would think).

Wolveswin wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think Brooklyn trades Bridges if they’re trading for a star they can afford with a pick package.

And the Atlanta deal is pretty weird to me. They trade OO and Jalen (two really good potential pairings with KAT) but keep their pick assets.

Seems like the other teams involved are just doing the trade that Minnesota would want.

Not saying value is off, just really weird directions for the other teams.

That is fair.

Nets Picks package doesn’t work here. See post above.

Personally I see Towns fit with Capela better, a lite version of Gobert.

Jalen in trade is cost of doing business as prize for MN trading Towns. If Hawks want to entertain direct (no Nets) that works.

Picks package from Hawks doesn’t work for Towns either (or Bridges I would think).

Atlanta package should be able to get either one IMO. They have two 2024 firsts and can trade their 2029/2031 firsts. And one of the 2024 first will be a lottery pick, if Trae is asking out..

Then the matching salary they use will have third-team value, whether it’s Capela, Bogdan, OO, Murray..

And they have some non-Jalen youth that holds some value in Bufkin, Griffin.

It’s not the return the other teams want, which is why it wouldn’t work. But I feel that’s the same as the OP for Atlanta.

Atlanta could do..

OO/Murray/Kobe/Sac first and be a not insulting offer for KAT, right?

Which leaves Bogdan or Capela, Griffin, a late lottery pick, and 2 future picks for Bridges.

The value is there for Atlanta to run KAT/Jalen/Hunter/Bridges/Trae…

jayjaysee wrote:

Wolveswin wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think Brooklyn trades Bridges if they’re trading for a star they can afford with a pick package.

And the Atlanta deal is pretty weird to me. They trade OO and Jalen (two really good potential pairings with KAT) but keep their pick assets.

Seems like the other teams involved are just doing the trade that Minnesota would want.

Not saying value is off, just really weird directions for the other teams.

That is fair.

Nets Picks package doesn’t work here. See post above.

Personally I see Towns fit with Capela better, a lite version of Gobert.

Jalen in trade is cost of doing business as prize for MN trading Towns. If Hawks want to entertain direct (no Nets) that works.

Picks package from Hawks doesn’t work for Towns either (or Bridges I would think).

Atlanta package should be able to get either one IMO. They have two 2024 firsts and can trade their 2029/2031 firsts. And one of the 2024 first will be a lottery pick, if Trae is asking out..

Then the matching salary they use will have third-team value, whether it’s Capela, Bogdan, OO, Murray..

And they have some non-Jalen youth that holds some value in Bufkin, Griffin.

It’s not the return the other teams want, which is why it wouldn’t work. But I feel that’s the same as the OP for Atlanta.

Atlanta could do..

OO/Murray/Kobe/Sac first and be a not insulting offer for KAT, right?

Which leaves Bogdan or Capela, Griffin, a late lottery pick, and 2 future picks for Bridges.

The value is there for Atlanta to run KAT/Jalen/Hunter/Bridges/Trae…

I don’t think either of those work for value. More so Towns trade.

And I don’t think either of those work for fit. Misses on both accords.